[1] Koizumi's fascination with Japan's 16th century civil war is well known. He is said to have been especially inspired by a recent book in which the words “I have decided to rid the world of this trash” are attributed to Nobunaga as he stormed up Mt Hiei, burning Enryakuji Temple to the ground and killing thousands of rebellious monks in the process.

[2] One indignant Japanese specialist on Galileo protested that to follow that precedent the Prime Minister had better be prepared to face the torture of the inquisition and recant.

[3] Electoral data in English.

[4] Kamiwaki Hiroshi, “Kore wa honto ni ‘min-i’ na no ka,” Sekai, November 2005, 106-111.

[5] Figures from Kamiwaki, p. 107.

[6] Tensei jingo, Asahi shimbun, 26 September 2005.

[7] Koizumi elsewhere lists “Kage Boshi” and X- Japan's “Forever Love” among his favorites.

[8] Jetro, “Japan's $3+ trillion postal privatization to have significant impact on financial markets,” Newsletter, New York, 22 December 2004.

[9] For fuller discussion, see my “Breaking Japan's iron triangle,” New Left Review 13, January-February 2002.

[10] Ibid., p. 12.

[11] Uchihashi Katsuto, “Nihon keizai, dai tenkan no toki,” Sekai, February, 1998, pp. 40-7.

[12] Yamada Atsushi, “Keizai shiko,” Shukan kinyobi, 16 September 2005, p. 18.

[13] From a GDP in 2000 of 510 trillion yen to 506 trillion yen in 2004.

[14] From around 540 trillion yen in March 2001 to 780 trillion in March 2005, or over 1,000 trillion if all public liabilities are included (Kaneko Masaru, “Zaisei akaji no sekinin o dare ga toru no ka,” Shukan kinyobi, 9 September 2005, pp. 12-13).

[15] 2005 marked the seventh consecutive year in which the income of the “salaryman” had fallen. NHK Television, 10 pm News, 28 September 2005.

[16] “Shiawase taikoku o mezashite,” Asahi shimbun, 3 April 2005.

[17] “Shiawase taikoku o mezashite,” Asahi shimbun, 12 June 2005.

[18] “Frita 417 man nin no shogeki,” NHK Special, March 2005. NHK's “four million” figure is not universally accepted. Tachibanaki Toshiaki (“Jakusha no hinkonka ga kakusa o jocho shite iru,” Ronza, June 2005, pp. 102-107, at p. 106) suggests “between two and four million,” of whom many, perhaps most, live in severe poverty.

[19] “2020s: Dark age of gray-haired freeters,” Daily Yomiuri Online, 6 June 2005.

[20] NHK Documentary, March 2005.

[21] Genda Yuji, “Wakamono no zasetsu wa ‘kibo’ ga sukuu,” Ekonomisuto, 20 September 2005.

[22] “Shiawase taikoku o mezashite, (4), Asahi shimbun, 24 April 2005.

[23] Nominally just under three million, but actually about double, Ito, 200.

[24] “Shiawase taikoku o mezashite, (11), Asahi shimbun, 12 June 2005.

[25] Yamada Masahiro, Kibo kakusa shakai, Chikuma, 2005, p. 202; Asahi shimbun, 9 January 2005.

[26] “Jisatsu 3-man nin,” Asahi shimbun, 11 June 2005.

[27] “Kaisha e no chuseishin Nihon ga sekai saitei,” Asahi shimbun, 13 May 2005.

[28] Yamada, p. 60; Tachibanaki, p. 103. The OECD's “Income Distribution and Poverty in OECD Countries in the Second Half of the 1990s,” (March 2005, p. 10) gives the Japan figure as of 2000 at 0.314, already above the OECD average of 0.309.

[29] Ronza, December 2004, pp. 8-21.

[30] 53 per cent, according to the survey by Asahi shimbun, published 5 September.

[31] Figures for 1998.

[32] The UN uses 7 per cent plus as the criterion for “aging,” 14 per cent plus for “aged,” and 20 per cent plus for “super aged.” Japanese figures here taken from CIA World Fact Book, 2005.

[33] To reach 69 trillion yen. Asahi shimbun, editorial, 10 September 2005.

[34] Robin Blackburn, “Capital and Social Europe,” New Left Review, No. 34, July-August 2005, pp. 89-114, at p. 89.

[35] “Hokorobiru Koizumi seiji,” Asahi shimbun, 17 June 2004.

[36] Tachibana Takashi, Iraku senso, Nihon no unmei, Koizumi no kakumei, Kodansha, 2004, p. 62-63.

[37] See “Fact Sheet,” Third Report to the Leaders on the U.S.-Japan Regulatory Reform and Competition Policy Initiative, 8 June 2004. (http://www.ustr.gov)

[38] “US masterminds Japan's postal privatization,” Asahi shimbun, 8 April 2005.

[39] House of Councilors, Committee on Postal Privatization, 2 August 2005.

[40] Okano Kaoru, “Koizumi, watakushi wa shinsei jiminto wo tsukuru,” Shukan gendai, 6 August 2005. See also “Point of view: U.S. pressure behind postal privatization drive,” Asahi Shimbun, 18 February 2005.

[41] Quoted in Manabu Hara, “Point of view: Where will the postal funds finally end up,” Asahi shimbun, 14 September 2005..

[42] Jetro, “Japan's $3+ trillion postal privatization to have significant impact on financial markets,” Newsletter, New York, 22 December 2004.

[43] Tokyo shimbun, 13 September 2005.

[44] Uchihashi Katsuto, “Ushinawawareta ‘ningen no kuni’,” Sekai, November 2005, pp. 36-44, at p. 41.

[45] Aera, 11 July.

[46] “Editorial: Female Candidates,” Asahi shimbun, 8 September 2005.

[47] LDP member Ota Seiichi in June 2003. (Hosaka Masayasu, Sengo seijika bogenroku, Chuko shinsho rakure 173, 2005, p. 236).

[48] They must be aware of the fate of Tanaka Makiko, the enormously popular Foreign Minister in the first Koizumi administration, who was roughly shunted aside in January 2002 when she began to take steps to “reform” her ministry.

[49] Unlike Tony Blair, or even John Howard, Koizumi has suffered no political ill consequences for his unwavering support of Bush's war and occupation. For Koizumi, it is simply a “righteous cause.”

[50] Ito Makoto, “Nihon keizai no kozoteki konnan,” Sekai, August 2005, pp. 194-2003, at p. 199.

[51] Uchihashi, November 2005, p. 44.

[52] ibid., p. 44.

[53] Wakamiya Yoshibumi, “Koizumi-shi no hofuku,” Asahi shimbun, 29 August 2004.

[54] Quoted in Yokota Hajime, “Rinen-naki ‘kaikaku’ ha tachi no shotai,” Shukan kinyobi, 23 September 2005, p. 16- 19.

[55] Union membership, 35 per cent of the work force in 1975, is now around 19. (Sasamori Kiyoshi, “Roso wa gakeppuchi?” Asahi shimbun, 14 October 2005).

[56] “Almost” because Koizumi did undertake two independent diplomatic initiatives: visiting the heartland of the “Axis of Evil,” neighboring North Korea, in September 2002 and May 2004.

[57] Hoshi Toru, “Kita Chosen gaiko,” Asahi shimbun, 4 January 2005.

[58] The beef matter took up 70 per cent of their short meeting time. Tersahima Jitsuro et al, “Ogoru na Amerika, me o hiraku Nippon,” Ronza, January 2005, pp. 34-47.

[59] Okada made a half-hearted attempt to suggest he would withdraw the Self Defense Forces from Iraq by December if victorious in the election, but failed to pursue the issue convincingly.

[60] The word used was zokkoku. Interview, Asahi shimbun, 21 September 2004.

[61] “Hyoden - Gotoda Masaharu shi,” Asahi shimbun, 22 September 2005.